1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to demand-supply scheme planning apparatus and method, and a program for planning a demand-supply scheme, and a storage medium storing the program. More particularly, the invention relates to a demand-supply scheme planning apparatus for planning a demand-supply scheme in a supply chain in which at least two demand-supply steps having receipt of order, placement of order, purchase, and supply of a merchandise, are connected, and to a method for the same, and to a program for causing a computer to function as the demand-supply scheme planning apparatus, and to a storage medium storing the program in a computer-readable manner.
2. Description of the Related Art
Systems have been proposed which prompt related supplier factories to coordinate so that parts, raw materials and the like from the factories are supplied in accordance with orders from customers (for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,630,123). In such a system, a network is constructed by planning-coordination systems provided in factories. When there is a request from a factory on the network formed by the planning-coordination systems, a factory receiving the request responds to the request based on a production scheme of the factory planned by the planning system, so that the timing of supplying parts and raw materials can be appropriately adjusted.
However, in the aforementioned factories coordination system, consideration is not given to the time needed between receipt of an order and supply of the ordered item, the overall cost of a product, stock management, etc., so that it is difficult to make such a plan as to further enlarge the profit of a corporate entity. For example, if identical parts or raw materials can be purchased from a plurality of factories, the cost of a product varies depending on the proportions of volumes ordered with respect to the factories, and therefore the corporate profit also varies depending on the same.